A modern granny square usually means one of three things: an unusual color placement, added texture, or a shape that skips the plain square entirely. The ten designs below hit all three, with motif size and construction called out so you can plan a blanket, bag, or garment around the one that fits.
10 Free Modern Granny Square Designs
1. Victoria Textured Square
Crafting Each Day’s Victoria square grows from the center out into a 9-inch square in worsted weight yarn on a 5.5 mm hook, with rounds 8 and 9 adjustable between single and half double crochet to fine-tune the size. It uses post stitches, and there is a video for the first three rounds if those are new to you. The sample uses Caron Cotton Cakes in Rose Whisper, and the designer likes yarns that do the color changing for you. View the pattern
2. Sunburst Granny Square
Sarah Stearns’ sunburst square is a beginner-friendly, four-color square worked in worsted weight yarn, with a new color in every round, so it is a good scrap-yarn project. A brown double crochet center, a puff stitch ring, a cluster ring and a cream squaring round make the sunflower look. Yarn suggestions on the page include Lion Brand Heartland and Wool-Ease Worsted, and there is a section on how to change colors for each round. View the pattern
3. Spiral Granny Square Motif
Robin’s spiral granny square starts from a magic circle and grows through increasing single, half double, double and treble crochet sections, with two border rounds to make it square. The page gives written US-term directions and a video, and an ad-free PDF is sold separately. Her sample sequence uses black and white for the spirals, alternating colors and balls, so plan your color order before you start. View the pattern
4. Colour Work Granny Square
Robin’s colorwork square is a two-color design where you carry the unused yarn behind your work while alternating colors across double crochet clusters. Round 2 attaches the second color to a chain-2 space, and then you work over the carried yarn in round 3 and change color during the last double crochet. The page has written US-term instructions and a complete video, and it uses a 5 mm hook. View the pattern
5. 3D Flower Square Motif
Robin’s 3D flower square starts with a magic circle center and 15 double crochets, then works petals from single up to double crochet. A chain round behind the petals and green granny-style rounds square the flower off. It uses standing single and double crochet stitches, which the page explains, and there is a video tutorial and written pattern. It suits projects where you want raised texture rather than a flat graphic motif. View the pattern
6. Two Tone Solid Square
Robin’s two tone solid square uses two colors within a three-round solid square, making graphic triangles and blocks. Her blanket uses four different squares per block, and the page lists the Hobbii Tweed Dreams colors for each (aran weight, 109 yards per 50 g ball), with a 5 mm hook. The blanket sample uses 140 squares for a 39 by 52 inch finish. You can join the squares after making them, sewing or crocheting them together. View the pattern
7. Baroque Triumph Floral Square
Raffaella’s Baroque Triumph square is a 10 inch block with picot-tipped petals, popcorn stitches, inverted V stitches and lacework. She used about 130 yards of Paintbox Simply DK with a 4 mm (G/6) hook, and the stitch count is shown in brackets at the end of each round. The free written pattern is on the page, and a printable PDF with step-by-step photos is sold on Ravelry, LoveCrafts and Etsy. It is the most elaborate square here. View the pattern
8. Arrow Point Granny Square
Raffaella’s arrow point square is a chevron design that you can make in any size, since it starts as a half granny triangle and you decide how many rows to work. The page links a tutorial explaining the rule for changing the size, and another for the last round before joining. It uses any yarn with the appropriate hook (the sample uses aran weight with a 5.5 mm hook) in as many colors as you like, and the shown version is about 11.25 inches. View the pattern
9. Smiley Face Square
Robin’s smiley face square is part of her Festival Pic ‘n’ Mix Blanket crochet-along, but it can be used on its own. It starts as an increasing double crochet circle (9 double crochets in the first round, then 20 and 30 stitches in later rounds), converts to a contrasting square, and finishes with half double and single crochet rounds. The face is embroidered on afterward in black. A video and written pattern are on the page. View the pattern
10. Popcorn Floral Granny Square
Robin’s popcorn floral granny square makes motifs about 4 inches wide in DK cotton (her blanket uses Sirdar Happy Cotton and a 4 mm hook). Her blanket is 8 squares wide by 11 long, about 35 by 47 inches, so 88 squares. The square has raised popcorn petals and you form each popcorn by inserting the hook back into the first treble. The page includes a video, written pattern and a paid ad-free PDF. View the pattern